Lock-rod for filing-cabinets.



R. G. BULLOCK.

LOCK ROD FOR FILING CABINETS.

APPLICATION man NOV. 27. 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I a! I W R. G. BULLOCK.

LOCK ROD FOR FILING mums.

APPLICATlON FILED NOV. 2 191]- 1,284,581 Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

' I? 76' i 1 i 2.5,

- ED STATES FATENT F E- RAYMOND e. BULLOCK, or enema. New YQRK. e slenon To na. METAL. cou- STRTJQTION COMPANY, nc-,5 or JAMESTOWN, NEW RK. COBBQRATIQN" or MAS C U E'JIT LOCK- BOD FOR FIL ING1CAIBINE'DS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Paten ed Nov- 19. 8.

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,217.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, RA MOND G. BULLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, county of Chautauqua, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lock-Rods for Filing-Cabin'ets, of which the following is a specification.

ing cards and the likeji'n a draweror other filing receptacle, and the objectof the invention is to provide for-locki g the rod against unauthorized removal, and also to provide :for'coiiveniently releasing the rod 15' by the manipulationof 'a key so'as to permit the removal of the rod'from aseries' of cards or the like and thereby permit the addition ofnew cards'or the r'emovall 'of any ofthe cardsf With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, shown 'in the drawingsand particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it of course being understood that changes in the form, "proportion, size and minor details may be made, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the features of'the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a filing drawer equipped: with a lock rod of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken throu h the front end of the rod and the drawer and showing a key in position to release the rod.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the front end of the rod. Fig. 5 is'a? plan sectiononthe line .5 .5 of Fig.-2.'

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary. detail sectional view taken on the line'tiffi ofFig. 5.

Fig. -7 is a'detail plan viewof the blank which constitutes Jthe support; or housing forth'e locking mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the key.

To illustrate the application of the prestrack 2 of any preferred form for theslidable support of a suitable follower, not shown. To accommodate the present in vehtion, the track 2 terminates short. of the This invention relates to rods for retainfront of the drawer, as best shown in Fig.

suitable manner, say for instance by means of screws, 7 one of which has been shown'at 5. The'front end of this head -is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rod,

while" the rear or inner end is beveled or tapered rearwardly, as at 6,for a purpose as will hereinafter appear. About midway. of

' the length of the head there is an annular groove 7 which provides front and rear an- 2. The track "maybe held 'in place in any nular shoulders 8 and 9. A key slit l0,.ex-;;

tends longitudinally of; the head and intersects one-longitudinal edgeof the head. The front end of this slit intersects the front extremity of the head diametrically thereof,

while the inner end of the slit terminates adjacent the tapered end of the head. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the slit 10 intersects the opposite edge or side of the head through the "groove portion' thereof and througha portion'of ther ear orinner part of the head, but does not intersect said side of the head in front ofthe groove.

The headed end of therod occupies a circular opening 11 in the front of the drawer,

and is normally contained within a bushing 12, the frontend ofwhich liesin the opening .11 flush'with the front face'of-the front of the drawer. For the support of-this'bush- 'ing '12 there is provided a frame or housing consisting'of atop plate ormemberil?) having a front depending flange 14' lying against theback of the front of the 'd-raw'er and resting at its lower-"edge on the bqttom' of the drawer. The front 'end'of i ihli ih' ing' is received withinn circular opening 15 in the flange 14, while the rear endfof the bushing abuts against a'depending' leg '16 at the back edge of the pl ate'l 3.""An open- 'ing is provided in the leg 16 in alimedrawer.

have the foot 31 next to the closed edge of the key slit.

ment with the opening 15 but smaller in diameter than the latter, in order to accommodate the rod 1 when the head thereof is lying within the bushing, which latter is of a size to neatly receive the head. The bushing is held in place by means of a suitable fastening 18 piercing the top of the frame or housing and engaging an opening in the bushing. In the top of the bushing there is a transverse notch or opening 19, from which a slit 20 extends forwardly and intersects he front end of the bushing. The top plate 13 is provided with an opening 21 in alinement with the notch 19 in the top of the bushing. A spring arm 22 is disposed upon the top 13 of the frame or housing and has one end secured thereto by suitable fastening means 23. The free end portion of the spring arm is provided with a depending loop or offset 24 which extends downwardly through the opening 21 and into the notch 19 in the bushing 15.

'When the rod 4: is in place, the part 24: of

the locking arm 22 occupies the upper side of the groove 7 in the head 5 and thereby locks the rod against endwise movement, authorized or otherwise. The free extremity 25 of the locking arm constitutes a stop for engagement with the top plate 13.

Access to the locking mechanism is prevented by means of a cover plate 25 suitably secured within the drawer. As shown in the drawing, the lower edge of the cover plate rests upon the bottom of the drawer and against the front end of the track 2, while the upper edge of the cover plate is provided with a flange 26 sprung into the eaded upper edge 27 of the front of the A side flange 28 is provided at each upper edge portion of the cover plate 25 and above the top edge of the adjacent side of the drawer so as to close the space between the cover plate and the flanged upright side of the front of the drawer.

For the purpose of releasing the rod there is provided a key 29 having a straight flat shank provided at one end with a suitable head or handle 30. The other end of the shank is provided with a depending foot portion 31 having a shoulder 32 at its front end. Opposite the foot 31, the other edge of the shank is beveled or inc-lined downwardly, as at 33.

To release the red, the key is thrust endwise into the key slit 10, care being taken to As the key is thrust into the slit, the beveled portion 33'of the key engages the under side of the depending portion 24 of the spring locking arm and raises the same out of the groove or seat in the head of the rod, and when the foot 31 of the key clears the bottom of the slit 10, it drops into the open portion of the slit which extends across the groove or seat 7 The size of the foot 31 is such that it substantially occupies this open side of the slit, and by merely withdrawing the key, the rod may be withdrawn therewith by reason of the shoulder 32 engaging the front shoulder 8 on the head of the locking rod. Of course the key is proportioned to hold the spring locking arm 22 out of the seat? of the head 5 until the rear portion of the head comes beneath and supports the spring locking arm out of the seat 7. When the rod has thus been withdrawn, cards may be added or removed, as desired. The rod may be replaced by thrusting it endwise through the bushing. In replacing the rod, the beveled or tapered inner end portion 6 of the head forces the spring locking arm 22 upwardly so as to permit the convenient insertion of the rod, after which the locking arm snaps back into the seat or groove 7 in the head and locks the rod against unauthorized removal.

The rod is capable of being turned upon its axis within the bearing afforded by the bushing 12, and therefore the rod may be put in place without care to bring the key slit 10 in alinement with the slit 20 in the bushing. By reason of the beveled por tion 33 of the key, the extremity of the lat ter is reduced sufiiciently to permit of said extremity being entered into the front end of the slit 10 and thereafter turned so as to turn or rotate the road and bring the slit 10 in alinement with the slit 20, whereupon the key may be thrust into the head of the rod to release the same from the spring arm or latch.

It is important that the key slot 10 should be as narrow as possible consistent with considerable strength for the key, in order to prevent, as far as possible, the thrusting of a nail or other. implement to lift the locking member 22.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, is

1. The combination of a card retaining rod having an annular seat and provided with a longitudinal key slot intersecting opposite sides of the seat, said key slot being closed at one side in front of the annular seat, a locking member for engagement with the seat, and a key capable of being thrust into the key slot to force the locking memher out of the seat, said key having a projection to engage against the rear side of the shoulder formed by the closed side of the key slot, whereby the key may be employed to pull the rod endwise when the locking member has been displaced from the seat.

2. The combination of a card retainin rod having an annular seat and provide with a longitudinal key slot intersecting opposite sides of the seat, said key slot being closed at one side in front of the annular seat, a locking member for engagement with the seat, and a key capable of being thrust into the key slot to force the locking member out of the seat, said key having a beveled portion to bear against and force the locking member out of the seat, and also provided with a lateral projection opposite the beveled portion and adapted to engage the rear side of the closed portion of the key slot, whereby the key may be employed to move the rod endwise when the locking member is displaced from the key.

3. The combination of a card retaining rod having an annular seat and provided with a key slot intersecting opposite sides of the seat, said key slot being closed at one side in front of the annular seat, a

locking member having a part engaging the seat at that side of the rod which is diametrically opposite the closed part of the key slot, and a key capable of being thrust into the key slot and having a beveled edge portion to'engage the locking member and force it out of the seat, the key being provided with a lateral projection opposite the beveled portion and of alength substantially equal to the width of the seat and adapted to engage the rear side of the closed portion of the key slot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

RAYMOND Gr. BULLOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

